Apparatus for the extraction of grease from wool.



No. 829,763. PATBNTED AUG. 28, i906. .AI H. BUR-fr, u.. JACKSON A G. A. HMH.

APPARATUS FOR THE BXTRAGTION 0F GREASE PROM WOOL. APPLIOATION FILED JUNEQ, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 829,763. EATENTED ANNEE, 1906. A. H. EUET, E. JACKSON & 0. A. PINCE. AEEAEATUEEOR TEE EXTEACTION 0E -GEEASE EEUM WOOL..

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1:905. I

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTBD AUG. 28, 1906. A. PINCE.

A. H. BURT, H. JACKSON & C. .Us POR THE BXTRAGTION 0F G APPARAT REASE FROM WOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JU'NE 9. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 PATENTE@ AUG. 28, 1906.4

A. H. BORT, H. JACKSON L O. A. EINOH. APPARATUS POR THE EXTRAOTION OF GREASE FROM WOOL.

APPLIOATIQN FILED JUNE 91905. 4 'SHEETS SHBET 4 l /l/I /l/l//l /l l FIG. ll /5 ARHHUR lli-iZELDlNE BURT, OF MSM." il,

JAIKSON ND CHAR-LES ALLT FlNGl'i, USTHeli-A..

No. 829,783. Specification oi Letters Patent, Patented Ang. reis, Application nea Jun@ 9,1905. sans. in. cette?.

To all whom, it irl/ey concern: (with buttoneheads to 'iaoilitate insertion Be it known that we, ARTHUR HAZELDINE and 'wi bdrawai) are driven downward into BURT, of Mosman, near Sydney, and HEN- the bales. Complete saturation of the 'woei SHAW Jamison and CHARLES ALL" FINCH, in the bale is eliected by submitting the of Sydney, State of New South Til/vales., in the saine to a number of successive compressions Commonwealth of Australia, subjects. of the by reciprocating the piston, whereby the sol King of Great Britain, have jointly invented vent is alternately.,squeezed out of and al certain new and nselnl Improvements in Aplowed to resoalr the wool. The iat-charged aratus for the Extraction oi Grease from solvent after withdrawal from the pressoo IO Wool, ol' which the following is a specilicachamberis run through a filter in which wool tion. may be used for a lilter-bed, andthe iilte: 'l Our invention relates to apparatus for opliqnidl is thence conveyed to a still, Whe erating a process by which greasi'l is extracted' thcvolatile liquid is driven oit' to a condenser from wool by means of volatile solvents, fitted withan air-pump and is thence rs- I5 such as benzin. l turned to the solvent-tanlr for reuse. After While our apparatus is adapted for operfinal pressing in the press-chamber to squeeze i ating on loose masses of' wool, it was devised, out the free liquor the wool is lifted into a primarily, for obtaining `grease from wool in closed drying-box, through which a draft oi? bales without breaking the packs, so as to air is pumped or drawn by vacuum. This 7o 2O utilize the packs as filters to retain solid and air takes up the absorbed solvent and carries non-soluble matters,andincidentally to clean it through the condenser, in which it is eX- the packs and render them fit for reuse with tracted and whence it passes to the solventscoured wool. tank. The semisolid residue in the still is The extraction of wool-fat from baled Wool treated by pressure and otherwise for the 75 Without opening the packs is of much imporpuriication o'i the Wool-fat according to tance commercially, as it is thereby made known processes. The pipin@ Aand valve possible to obtain the fat by operating on unarrangements are so disposed that the saine roken bales at any convenient pla-ce during charge of solvent may at will be reused Afor transit. rl`he recess may therefore be cartwo or more bales successively or so that a 8o ried out on a arge and economical scale at second (rinse) charge of fresh solvent may be shipping centers or rail junctions, where applied, so as to more ,completely dissolve large quantities of wool are handled, without out the fat. The press-chamber may be involving any change or delay in forwarding provided with an intermediate grating to arrangements. At the saine time a reducsustain the top of the bale While pressure 'is 8f tion is madein the weight of the bale,and a applied toit below by means of the piston to consequent saving in freight thereon is ef'- ellect the solution of the grease by regurgi fected. tating the solvent through the Wool.

in carrying out our invention we use a In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a dief connected series of apparatus in which the grammatic figure explanatory of the general 9c 4o solvent is protected against atmospheric arrangement ci' the several parts of the appavaporization during the several steps oi' the ratus; Fig. 2, a 'vertical section through the process and is recovered. for reuse and is Arepress-chamber; Fig. 3, a top plan; Fig. 4, a used continuously. v In this apparatus the Vhorizontal section through upper part of sainev Wool is placed in a close press-chamber proonlinezr; Fig. 5, asimilar horizontal section gc, vided with a piston or lifting false bottom through lower part of same on line t t; Fig. operated by a rain which is worked by hy 6,21 sectional horizontal plan on line u u; draulic or other power. A body of solvent l 7, ahorizontalsection onlinett; `'.*`ig;8,a ide, liquid is introducedinto this ross-chamber elevation oipressechamber; Fig. 9,'iiV clef-ina' as soon as the same has been c osed. To infragment view showing section et pis 5e sure complete penetration of the solvent into Fig. 10, a-plan oi' iston; Fig. il, a fregiA the heart of the bale, inspirating-ne'edles vertical section il ustrating fastennig ei theed 11 of the ]u'ess-el'ian'ibor; Fig. 12, fi fregroent plan referring' thereto; Fig. l-, o. vertical section on iine if; w; Fig. 14, an elevation si iowillgiiispiretoroieidle; Fig. l5, a fragment side elevation showing gear for moving the divi.- sional grating. y

Referring to Fig. i. in the annexed sheet of explanatory drawings, A the pres eliainber; B, the reuroyliuder; C, the filter-box, and D e series oi' two or more clryingr-elieu1H bers. E is the eir-heeteif, the still; G, the condenser; K, air-pump L, solventtank; M;

omeiliery solventftanli N the solvent-pump;

Vin the pipes.

. eondenser G.

U, veouunveylinder,'end i grease-tank. ll it be found convenient to piece the condenser G und the solvent-tenir L above the level of the press-ehember A, the solvent may be eilowed to How by grevityin which ease the solvent-pump may be dispensed with but it is generally 4 referred to adopt the arrangementin Whit; .fthe solvent is moved positively by the pump N. The solvent is supplied from the )ump N to the press-chamber A thrigiuzgih t e pipe o. The solvenipump N draws its supply of solvent from the tant: L through the pipe Z. The solventpuoip N has also e connection through the pipe m wi th the auxiliary solvent-teelt la, into which grease-laden soiveilt from the pressvehaniliier A posses by the )ipe o. e e represent valves Tile bottom end of ti pressehember A is ,oorineoted by the pipe e to the lter C, whiohmey be roede to eet either upwifferdly or dewzivferdlv. fis .ipe for delivering filtered greeseviuderi. solvent from the :filter C to 'the still F', Wbioh latter is hee ted by a eoil supplied with super-heated steam. g e. by-pass connection. between the filter il and the pipe Z, and j e. pipe connection between the auxiliary tank M sod the still F. The vaporized solvent by the'pipe p to the There ere also pipe connections d from the seiferol drying-boxes D to the pipe connection y) between the still F and .the eoudenser G. These drying-boxes have each a valve in the head through which atmospheric eir may be admitted to them, end they :ire also provided with pipe services e to Convey heated tir from the air-heater E, Whieh is warmed by e. steam-coil. The mixed air and the condensed vapor which pass from the condenser G enterytlie vaouuni-reservoir t) and thence pass, to' the air-pump K, which delivers the suine to the oir-heater lll through the pipev r or to waste through the outlet u. The solvent eondensml in tino rondouser (l passes by the pipe f (which is fitted with zino11-returri Valve) to the solvent-taint li, whence it is conveyed, as before stated, by the pipe Z to the force-pump N, mid 'thence 1for reuse to the press chamber' A. The one charge of solvent may be used repeat llj, desired, by leaving' it in. the press :or until it beeoines fully charged with grease by repeated treatment of sueoessive bales of wool. it will he observed that by operating the vaives Z the seme oliarge olE solveut lizan be circulated through the presschember A end the filter C often as iriay be found nece sary and finally ru into the still 'F through the pipef, or et the option of the ope/rotor the ii rst eherge oi" solvent leden with grease may lio run into the still F from the filter C through the pipej, and e rinse charge of fresh solvent t-iieu circulated by means of the pump N through the Wool in the presschamber A, and thence to the auxiliary solvenbtauk M throughithe pipe o, Whenoeit muy be drawn. through the pipe m to the pump N and used on another bale of Wool in 'the press-ohainber A.

The form of the press-chamber which Weuse in practice is shown in Figs. 2 to i3. It oonsists of two chambers superposed, of

which the upper one, 1, is of less etree than the lower one, i?, hut in eiinement therewith et the corners, so that the Corner ports will forni e continuous guide for the plunger or piston 3 throughout its stroke.` This piston is eoveredon the laee ivitli gratingours Lt end is fitted with two or more springsusteined drop-valt' 5, whose hea-ds rise above the i'aee of the gratinpieees 4, the object being that these valves shall be forced open by oontact against the lower side of the bale of Wool which is dropped into the chamber. The pistou 3 is carried on a rem or rod 6, inthe upper side ol Whose stuilingdiox 7 e. Weter-V ivoll 8 formed to cheek escape ofthe vola- ,roo

tile solvent through the paoliing. The pistou is guided et its four corners by direct contact with the interiorsurfaee of the corners of the o iunibers, end it is provided with a leather liii- )ac-.kind l) carried bv o univ ring 10. This peeking makes a vapor-retaining' joint in the upper section 2 of the ohzuuber, but leaves a grap at the four sides of the piston when the saine is in the lower seetion 2 of the chamber. rl`he top closure is it reinforced (zap-plate i l, with a perforated false liningr l2, the i'ierloratious being pro vided to allow l'reo aeoess ard exit oi' solvent to and from all parts ol' the upper surlaoe of the bale when it is under compression by the piston. The solveut-supply pipe u, conveys the solvent to the cavity between the lalse The head is -sev lnterinmliate4 TIO saeee a hand-screw 21 or bv a leve1 22, connected tp it through a linlr, or by a pin working in a s ot.

In operation, the rack-plate 17 being retired, the bale ot wool is dropped into the rese-chamber and the .head 11 closed down. bolventis then run through the pipe a, coinpletely immersing the bale and soaking the saine by direct absor tion through its eXterior surface and also tlirough the inspiratingneedle-sm'hich are driven into it`fro1n the top end before it is inserted into the press-cham ber. The piston 3 being drawn down to the lower end of therchainber and the grating 17 closed in over the top of the`bale,whic is now completely submerged in the solvent liquor, pressure is applied to the ram two or three t1mes or oftener, so as to cause the solvent to surge through the wool in the bale and dissolve the wooll"at contained therein. Finally, the grating 17 is retired and the bale is put under pressure against the head 11 in or er to squeeze out the free solvent. The solvent is run oil' through the pipe c either to the filter C or to the auxiliary solvent-reservoir M. The head 11 is now removed and the bale raised up by exerting pressure on the rain 6 and lifted into one ofthe drying-boxes l), which is closed down on it and the hot-air e. and ,xhaust d services opened. The reinaining solvent is thus evaporated out of the bale and reeondensed in the still G for reuse. The inspirating-needles are not Withdrawn until after the dried-outv bale is taken from the drying-box, as they servevto convey air into and vapor out of the bale.

The provision of the intermediate grating 17 and accessory parts is not essential, as it is practicable to press the bale directly against the false head. 12, provided'that the solvent has freedom to surge past the piston. The leather packing-ring et the piston is provided only to prevent Yvaporization of solvent when the piston is raised up near the top ol" the chamber and the head 11 opened while the bale is being inserted and lifted out.

The leather packing does not lill the clearance between the sides ol the chamber 2, and the piston and the solvent is therefore free to surge past the piston during the operation of repeatedly compressing the wool and relieving the pressure thereon to elect solution of the grease by regurgitatingthe solvent through the wool. W'hen a press-chamber of identical form throughout its length is used andthe Wool pressed directly against thehead ol' the chamber, the leather packing must be made sufficiently {lexible to permit the solvent to ilow past it to and lroin the space below the piston, while when thcri is no pressure it must close up to the elia-inherwalls to prevent vaporization of the solvent contained in the chamber. i`liv tuoni-ptit; valves 5 are kept open by the 'vi/eight o." the wool thcreonrbut when the wool is lifted out of the press they are closed by their supporting-springs and thus seal the space below the piston and prevent loss of solvent by evapoe ration.

lt may be ex lained that the inspiratingneedle (seen in Fig. 14) is tubular, closed at the point but o en at the head end, and rovided with a hea Vand with numerous pe orations in its walls.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for the purpose specified, I

having a press with achainber to receive the baled wool and liquid solvent and a piston to compress the wool, a filter C to receive the grease-charged solvent from the press and separate the solid matter therefrom a cockcontrolled pipe connecting the press-chamber with said filter, a Istill F, lfor volatilizing said solvent, a cock-controlled pipe connecting said filter with the still, a condenser G to condense the vapors from the still, apipe ccnnecting said still and condenser, la receiver connected with the condenser to receive. the li uid solvent from the same, a pump N for dglivering liquid solvent to the press-chamber, pi es connecting the pump on its eduction si Ae with the press, and on its induction side withsaid receiver, drying-boxes D 'for the wool, an air-pump K, a pipe connecting the induction side of said pump with tlie condenser-chamber for clearing it, pipe connections between the eductien side of said airpurnp and the dryingboxes D for circulating air through the latter, and pipe connections between' the respective drying-boxes and the pipe leading to the condenser.

2. A press for the purpose specified, having a compressing-piston provided with valves and ports controlled thereby, the said valves normallyv closing the ports, and some p0rtions thereof extending through the respective ports and beyond the surface of the iston on which the wool bears, whereby the atter, in the operation of pressing, forces the valves open.

A ress for the purpose specified, having a porter piston 3, provided with a wool-supporting grid 4, o n its pressing-face, conical valves 5, which project normally through the respective ports from the back of the piston and outV beyond the surface of said grid, and

springs which hold the respective valves c osed.

4. I n apparatus for extracting wool-tat by IIO means of solvents, for the purpose of facilitatand lower section ov-larger area, a philou Imm/es to tfhls fspeclcatlon 1n the presence of Wo subscribin mwfnble vertically thmugh said chambers amdtng the upper section but; frese, in the l lauwe; Seciqnglere'uf s ri ng-suppoted Valves f in the pst `1", i Hexis e packing-ring on the l psiton, a p-fejkef" cover with arperforated false hea vl-`ksolvnt srve and (haw-off pipes :md means'forileqiplfilatingthe'pst0n vert calv. subsfjaritallyas described.

In. testimony whereof We have signed om' Io witnesss. v AHTH Ry HZELDINE BURT. HENSHAW JACKSUN. CHARLES ALLT FINH.

/Vtnesses:

N. RILEY; W. I. DAvs. 

